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Local authorities may enter into agreements with each other to provide dog
wardens and dog shelters. Some local authorities may enter into agreements with
the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (ISPCA) or, with permission from the Minister for the
Environment, Community and Local Government, a person or organisation connected
with animal welfare to provide these services.

You are liable for injury or damage caused by your dog to people or
livestock.

A new system of compulsory microchipping is being introduced in 2015 – see
‘Dog identification’ below.

Rules

Dog licences

In order to get a dog licence, you must be over 16 years of age. It is an
offence to keep a dog unless you have a licence. All dogs over 4 months of age
must have a licence. Puppies under 4 months who are still with their mothers
don't need licences, but once they leave their mothers they must have a
licence. Your dog must be accompanied by and be under your effective control or
the control of another responsible person if it is outside your home or
premises or the home or premises of the person in charge of it. A dog warden
can ask you to produce evidence of your dog licence and failure to do so can
result in an on-the-spot fine. Failure to pay this fine within a specified
period can result in prosecution by the local authority.

Licences are not needed for blind persons' guide dogs; for dogs in the
possession of a local authority, the ISPCA or the Gardaí; or for any dog
imported into the State for less than 30 days.

Standard annual licences for individual dogs are issued by post offices.
General dog licences for multiple dogs are issued by local authorities. The
revenue from dog licences finances the operation of dog control services.

The Dog
Breeding Establishments Act 2010 amended the Control of Dogs Act 1986. It
introduced a new 'lifetime of dog' licence, which is issued by local
authorities. It also increased the fees for standard and general dog licences.
The Act came into effect on 1 January 2012.

Dog identification

Dogs must at all times wear a collar that bears the name and the address of
the owner inscribed on it or on a plate, badge or disc. Failure to have
identification on a dog can result in an on-the-spot fine issued by a dog
warden. Failure to pay this fine within a specific period can result in
prosecution by the local authority.

Stray dogs

Stray dogs are dogs that are in a public place and are not accompanied by
the owner or a responsible person. Dogs that are not under proper control are
also considered stray dogs. You can receive an on-the-spot fine if your dog is
not under proper control. Stray dogs may be seized by the dog warden and the
Gardaí and brought to a dog pound. These dogs may be put down or re-homed if
their owners do not claim them within 5 days. If your dog has strayed or is
missing, you should contact the local dog pound directly to check if your dog
is there. Before you collect it, you will have to pay a re-claim fee and
produce a current dog licence. If you do not have a current dog licence, you
must get one before collecting your dog.

Unwanted dogs

Unwanted dogs should be brought to the dog pound. There may be a charge for
accepting them – check this with your local pound. Local authorities have the
power to accept unwanted dogs and put them down if they cannot be rehomed or
transferred to an animal welfare group.

Dog wardens

Dog wardens have the power to request the name and address of a person
suspected of an offence under the Control of Dogs Act. They also have the power
to seize and detain any dog and to enter any premises with 5 or more dogs,
other than a residence, to seize and detain a dog. You are guilty of an offence
and can be arrested by a Garda if you obstruct a dog warden in the course of
his or her work, refuse to give your name and address or give a false name and
address.

Bye-laws

Many local authorities have introduced bye-laws to indicate areas where dogs
must be kept on a leash or even prohibited. Your local authority will be able
to inform you of the bye-laws that apply in your area. Breaches of these
bye-laws can result in fines on summary conviction.

Dog faeces

Under Section
22 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 it is an offence to allow a dog under
your control to foul a public place. This means the owner/person in charge of
the dog is required to remove dog faeces and dispose of them in a suitable,
sanitary manner. You can complain to the District Court under the litter laws
against an owner or someone in charge of a dog who allows that dog to foul
public places and who fails to act responsibly. Before you do this, you must
first inform the dog owner of your intention by completing a special form
available from the Dog Control Unit of your local authority. Read more about litter laws.

Barking dogs

Excessive dog barking that causes a nuisance is an offence. You may be able
to solve such problems by talking to the dog owner.

If you don’t get a satisfactory response, you may complain to the District
Court and seek a hearing. When you have got a court date, you must inform the
dog owner of your complaint by using the form prescribed for this purpose under
Section
25 of the Control of Dogs Act 1986. These forms are available from the
District Courts and from local
authorities.

The court may make an order requiring the occupier of the premises in which
the dog is kept to abate the nuisance by exercising due control over a dog. The
court may limit the number of dogs that can be kept on a premises or may direct
that a dog be delivered to a dog warden to be dealt with as unwanted.

Guard dogs

A guard dog used at a non-residential business premises must be either
accompanied by a handler or secured so that it cannot roam freely around the
premises or escape. A notice must be displayed at the entrance, informing the
public that a guard dog is on the premises.

The guard dog must wear a collar displaying the name and address of its
owner. It must also carry an electronic implant containing a permanent
identification mark provided by the ISPCA. This implant must be inserted by or
under the direct supervision of a veterinary surgeon authorised by the ISPCA.
The dog owner is responsible for the cost involved in inserting the implant.

The rules state that these dogs (or strains and crosses of them) must:

Be kept on a short strong lead by a person over 16 years who is capable
of controlling them

Be muzzled whenever they are in a public place

Wear a collar bearing the name and address of their owner at all times.

The rules on muzzling and leashing do not apply to dogs used by the Gardaí,
the Dublin Harbour Police, State Airport Police and bona fide rescue teams in
rescue operations. The rules on muzzling do not apply to guide dogs for the
blind.

Penalties

Local authorities have the power to introduce bye-laws relating to dog
control. You should be aware that the penalties listed below are a guide; fines
in your area may be higher.

Offence

Fines

Penalty

No dog licence

On-the-spot fine: €100 payable to your
local authority

Failure to pay on-the-spot fines can lead to
prosecution in District Court with a maximum fine of €2,500 and/or 3
months' imprisonment

No identification on dog

On-the-spot fine: €100 payable to your
local authority

Failure to pay on-the-spot fines can lead to
prosecution in District Court with a maximum fine of €2,500 and/or 3
months' imprisonment

Stray dog

Dog pound re-claim fee of €20. Charge of
€8 for every night dog is in pound.

The pound will hold a dog for at least 5
days. Dogs not re-claimed from the dog pound within 5 days may be put
down, rehomed or transferred to an animal welfare group.

Dog not kept under control

On-the-spot fine of €100 payable to your
local authority

Failure to pay on-the-spot fines can lead to
prosecution in District Court with a maximum fine of €2,500 and/or 3
months' imprisonment

Breach of bye-laws (setting out times when
dog may be unleashed in public)

Fines up to €2,500 on conviction.

Dog fouling public place

Owners/handlers who do not dispose of dog
faeces in a responsible manner may receive an on-the-spot fine of
€150.

Failure to pay on-the-spot fines can lead to
prosecution in District Court with a maximum fine of €3,000 and
€600 per day for continuing offences on summary conviction

Rates

An individual dog licence costs €20 and is valid for one year.

A general dog licence costs €400 and is valid for one year.

A 'lifetime of dog' licence costs €140.

Further information

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG)
publishes detailed information
on its website, including guidelines under the Dog Breeding Establishments
Act and statistics on dog control.

Contact Us

If you have a question relating to this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0761 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm) or you can visit your local Citizens Information Centre.